Food Security

What To Do

Pre Activity Prep

• Prior to the workshop, view speaker videos: "Solve Climate Worldwide Teach-In - Toronto Speakers"
• Optional: view  "Food Security & Sovereignty in Indigenous and Black Communities" (4:31 - 6:12)

Activity: Food Security Design Challenge

• Have students watch the Food Security Workshop Mar. 25 - Recording video or go through the Food Security Presentation.
• Separate students into small groups and assign them a department. There should be an equal number of Department 1 groups and Department 2 groups (students can also work individually). Give each group a worksheet.
• Explain the design challenge: The town of ___ has pledges to expand their network and availability of local food to their residents. Over the past decade the town has grown rapidly, which has created some of the following challenges:
  • Only one grocery store exists for the town.
  • Access to local farms is blocked by the highway (thick black line) making it difficult for people to walk or bike to the agricultural area.
  • No public transport system.
• Groups will use the worksheet to draft solutions for each goal with their assigned department. 
• Once their draft is completed, they will collaborate with a group from the opposite department to make a final plan. 
• Optional: Have groups share or present their final plans to the class, discuss how they came to their solutions and any difficulties they faced. 
• Discuss possible careers related to the topics covered and what students would need to do (schooling, experience, etc. ) to get into those careers.

Designing Instructions

• Use pencil to sketch your designs prior to collaborating with your colleague. You may need to make adjustments later during the collaboration phase.
• You may use a piece of scrap paper to plan out your design before adding it to your worksheet.
• Be specific and ensure that your plan is organized (e.g., use different colours to indicate bus routes vs bike lanes).
• Identify your target audience when creating your designs. Ask questions such as:
  • Who will my plan or program serve?
  • Why do people need access to these plans/programs?
  • How will my design impact residents and businesses?
  • What are the limitations of my design?

Department 1: Infrastructure and Sustainable Transportation

• Create a bus station in an undeveloped space within town.
• Assign 3 bus routes to move residents around the town, ensure at least one route transports people to the highway and to the grocery store. All bus routes must start and end at the bus station.
• Assign bike routes throughout town to allow residents to get to local shops and access local food safely. Bike routes should avoid factory areas where big trucks frequently come and go.

Department 2: Local Food Access and Production

• Assign one or more farmers' markets to make local food available to a wide range of residents. You can use park areas or undeveloped space to establish your market(s). Establish hours of operation.
• Establish a program to encourage local food production within the town, outside of the agricultural area. The program can involve one or more methods of food production and should focus on equitable access of local food.
• For residents with limited mobility, design a method to make local food available directly where they live.

Notes

• Blank areas surrounding blocks of development are major local roadways. The thick black line is the highway.
• Assume that major roads continue around the perimeter of the town.
• Large blank areas are undeveloped areas.
• Take note of the scale of the town to decide what is walkable and what is bike-able.

When collaborating

• Resolve any conflicts between the two designs - are there overlapping uses for the same space?
• Consider how the two designs will work together - are there ways to enhance the effectiveness of each design?
• What changes are needed to the final design? Sometimes a good idea becomes unnecessary or needs adjusting when looking at the big picture.
• Plans constantly evolve. What questions might you have for your design, or what gaps might there be in your planning process?
• Who else do you need to consult? Are there groups of people who should be consulted before implementing this plan?